During the day, do you ever wish you could just stop and relax for five minutes? Chill out and NOT think, but close your eyes and breathe deeply and relax? I am thrilled to bring you this link for just that! Click on, choose your atmosphere, let go of whatever darn stress you've been dancing with in your head and say ahhhhh. You will not believe that awesome effect this has on your entire body! This is the best spring cleaning project ever! Happy Spring!
http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam-life-meditation-rooms
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Please watch this video. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) headed by Ken Cook is a fabulous organization and he is one of my all time favorite presenters.
Now do you see why the government approval of all of Monsanto's chemicals is so horrific? It isn't one chemical alone, its the combination of all our bodies are asked to deal with. When is enough, enough?
Join EWG.ogr - it's free! http://ewg.org/ Ken Cook and his organization is working for YOU and YOUR family and all the unborn to come!
Now do you see why the government approval of all of Monsanto's chemicals is so horrific? It isn't one chemical alone, its the combination of all our bodies are asked to deal with. When is enough, enough?
Join EWG.ogr - it's free! http://ewg.org/ Ken Cook and his organization is working for YOU and YOUR family and all the unborn to come!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
WHAT Democracy?
Correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't this thing called a Democracy supposed to be a government BY the people, FOR the people? Isn't our "voice" important? Well the latest poll from MSNBC showed 95% of the people polled wanted GMO (genetically modified) foods to be LABELED as such. Previously a poll by CBS showed 89%. I think this is an overwhelming majority. Is anyone listening?
Unless you are using the shopping guide from the Instititue of Responsible Technology (I urge you to get one!) then you are consuming GMO products.
Now there is some new development in GMO's which indicates a WARNING from a senior scientitist who has uncovered alarming new organism in GMO crops. Please read the following exerpt from Dr. Mercola's latest newsletter.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved three new kinds of genetically engineered foods -- alfalfa, a type of corn, and sugar beets. And the FDA will likely soon approve GM salmon, which would become the first genetically modified animal to be sold in the U.S., but probably not the last. And the FDA and USDA will not require any of these products, or foods containing them, to be labeled as genetically engineered. This despite the fact that over 95 percent of people polled say they think GM foods should require a label.
According to an editorial in the New York Times:
"Even more than questionable approvals, it's the unwillingness to label these products as such -- even the G.E. salmon will be sold without distinction -- that is demeaning and undemocratic, and the real reason is clear: producers and producer-friendly agencies correctly suspect that consumers will steer clear of G.E. products if they can identify them. Which may make them unprofitable. Where is the free market when we need it?"
Even more alarming, Dr. Don M. Huber, one of the senior scientists in the U.S., has alerted the federal government to a newly discovered organism related to GM crops may be causing plant death, and infertility and spontaneous abortion in animals fed GM crops.
Dr. Huber believes the appearance and prevalence of this unnamed new organism may be related to the nation's over-reliance on the weed killer known as Roundup, and to genetically engineered Roundup-Ready crops.
In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Huber called on the government to immediately stop deregulation of Roundup Ready crops. According to the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, the letter read, in part:
"Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn—suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science! ... I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high-risk status. In layman's terms, it should be treated as an emergency."
How bad does this have to get before there is a louder massive campaign from The People demanding labeling at the very least?
What can YOU do?
1. Get the shopping list and boycott this GMO crap before it does damage to your health and that of your children.
2. Tell everyone you know to do the same thing - use social media to spread the word.
3. Realize that if YOU don't, this won't get done! We absolutely must be the change we want to see in the world.
The "Frankenfish" is next folks. It won't be labeled unless YOU help by demanding it. Then, what's next?
http://www.seedsofdeception.com/
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
Unless you are using the shopping guide from the Instititue of Responsible Technology (I urge you to get one!) then you are consuming GMO products.
Now there is some new development in GMO's which indicates a WARNING from a senior scientitist who has uncovered alarming new organism in GMO crops. Please read the following exerpt from Dr. Mercola's latest newsletter.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved three new kinds of genetically engineered foods -- alfalfa, a type of corn, and sugar beets. And the FDA will likely soon approve GM salmon, which would become the first genetically modified animal to be sold in the U.S., but probably not the last. And the FDA and USDA will not require any of these products, or foods containing them, to be labeled as genetically engineered. This despite the fact that over 95 percent of people polled say they think GM foods should require a label.
According to an editorial in the New York Times:
"Even more than questionable approvals, it's the unwillingness to label these products as such -- even the G.E. salmon will be sold without distinction -- that is demeaning and undemocratic, and the real reason is clear: producers and producer-friendly agencies correctly suspect that consumers will steer clear of G.E. products if they can identify them. Which may make them unprofitable. Where is the free market when we need it?"
Even more alarming, Dr. Don M. Huber, one of the senior scientists in the U.S., has alerted the federal government to a newly discovered organism related to GM crops may be causing plant death, and infertility and spontaneous abortion in animals fed GM crops.
Dr. Huber believes the appearance and prevalence of this unnamed new organism may be related to the nation's over-reliance on the weed killer known as Roundup, and to genetically engineered Roundup-Ready crops.
In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Huber called on the government to immediately stop deregulation of Roundup Ready crops. According to the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, the letter read, in part:
"Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn—suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science! ... I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high-risk status. In layman's terms, it should be treated as an emergency."
How bad does this have to get before there is a louder massive campaign from The People demanding labeling at the very least?
What can YOU do?
1. Get the shopping list and boycott this GMO crap before it does damage to your health and that of your children.
2. Tell everyone you know to do the same thing - use social media to spread the word.
3. Realize that if YOU don't, this won't get done! We absolutely must be the change we want to see in the world.
The "Frankenfish" is next folks. It won't be labeled unless YOU help by demanding it. Then, what's next?
http://www.seedsofdeception.com/
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Emotional Eating - Overeating Part Two
Let's start with the word homeostasis, because we living beings need to know and care about this. It is the self-regulating process that maintains stability and equilibrium in your body - a relative constancy of the internal fluid environment. This (homeostasis) describes an environment that supports the survival of cells. You need this. I need this. Our bodies try to maintain this - for instance - with keeping our body temperature at an even level. It involves all the things that body is busy doing that you don't have to think about. The auto-pilot stuff, it keeps on keeping on. Until, that is, we mess up - which we'll get into later.
In his book, Dr. Kessler writes:
"Like the homeostatic system, the body's reward system is essential to survival, encouraging us to seek out pleasurable things like sex and food. Powerful biological forces are at play that make us WANT something enough to pursue it and then make us feel momentarily better once we obtain it. The anticipation of reward provides motivation to act."
So we all have a reward system going on. I think there are some people who have a bit of over-activity of their reward systems and become addicts. Think Tiger Woods for instance, and unfortunately so many celebs who make it into the news because of their sex addictions. And celebs like Kristie Alley with food addictions. I mention the ones you have heard about, but there are millions (of each kind) out there. It is the food addicts I am most concerned about because they are truly killing themselves with rewards. Their homeostasis is hanging by a thread.
Looking at foods (I use the term loosely) that contribute to weight problems is something that Dr. Kessler does in depth. I would think anyone reading this book would be severely challenged to continue consuming Junk Food once they realize it isn't food at all. Last week's blog hinted at the fact that food manufacturers are taking advantage of our reward system by offering up the most palatable outrageously delicious "treats" known to mankind. They do it in their laboratories. Their recipes have nothing whatever to do with offering up nutritients your little cells need but everything to do with what happens when you smell and taste their products. You make them rich. You get hooked on the taste and keep coming back for more - and more! Only when your doctor says you have diabetes, or your bathroom scale implodes do you think there is a problem with what you've been eating, and how much of it. Well folks, let's change things in our heads before any of that happens!
Dr. Kessler attended a convention of the Institute of Food Technologist in New Orleans. He was strolling past the booths and one offered him a frozen chocolate drink. He said "from the first rich, flavorful sip I knew it was something special. The taste seemed to explode on my tongue." He went on to say, "That product contained chocolate fudge carmel flavor, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk, dextrose, heavy cream and salt - key drivers of palatability blended together with artificial flavor."
He asked the food scientist at that booth just how much cocoa was in the product. The response was "Very little." They could put it on the label because it did contain SOME, though not enough to contribute to the flavor - the total flavor was generated thru modern chemistry. Once sensitized to this he began to notice it everywhere. Food was not what he thought it was but a blend of "things" from a lab PRETENDING to be something they were not.
Reading labels can be scary I guess. The key ingredients in Oreo cookies are sweeteners of course, but the manufacturer paired bitter sweet chocolate taste (artificial) with sugar (lots!) for a dynamic taste treat. The flavor combos in recipes they create (in their laboratories) are so yummy and delicious we fall prey to eating them - some for an occasional treat - others for daily rewards. One oreo for a treat may not be so bad, but honestly could you eat just one?
In his chapter called "The Science of Selling" he writes: "It's hardly news that the food we eat, and the way it's presented, are the handiwork of an industry whose goal is to make a profit. What's striking is the many ingenious ways in which the industry succeeds. On venture capitalist did not mince words when he talked about its intent. "The goal is to get you hooked." he said bluntly.
"Typically, craveable foods in America are layered with sauces, cheese, and breading. "When in doubt, throw cheese and bacon on it" is a standard joke in the world of chain restaurants, according to food industry consultant John Haywood."
Of course I shouldn't need to mention that MOST of those sauces and cheese aren't REAL either, and the breading packs a wallop of calories for basically nothing but "taste". Are we such reward-centered people that we will consume ANYthing that tastes good whether it's real or not? There is so much of that going on today it is no wonder obesity is rampant, as is diabetes and other diseases. The American diet is pathetic with its lack of REAL food.
Some people say they do all their own cooking and never buy prepared or processed foods. Does it really matter if those scrumptious meals are homemade if the creation is a calorie dense meal? How much sugar, salt, cream, butter, white flour etc. went into that meal?
I did a kitchen purge for a client recently and we sat down and looked at all the recipes she would use to create some fabulous dinners and we added up the calories. Gasp! She vowed to make these meals only once in a blue moon, if ever. She switched to roasted veggies, less meat, less dairy, and more whole grains, beans and fruit. She and her husband lost weight the first week after she changed menus and that is enough incentive to keep at it. Is it a diet? Not really. It's called real simple food that hasn't been sauced, breaded, creamed or fried to death. She told me last week she is having fun trying out new recipes and has challenged herself to whip up great tasting meals without cream, butter, oils, sugars etc. but using herbs and natural foods. Way to go! That family is on the way to better health and weight loss!
Our bodies need protein, carbs and fat in the proper amounts for our own personal body to have homeostasis. We need micronutrients of vitamins and minerals as well. If our main quest in life is to satisfy that taste bud craving - which is the result of loving the taste of fat (all kinds!) and/or the taste manipulated with flavoring chemicals - just where in the world are our nutrients coming from? We are overfed and staving! That bears repeating - overfed and starving.
Why can we consume an entire bag of potato chips? Because the fat we are ingesting doesn't fill us up so we keep on eating and eating them. Because fat empties from the stomach at just 2 calories per minute, fat can increase satiety. This is one reason why low-fat diets often fail because people are used to consuming larger quantities of food so they say they are not satisfied with small portions and too often declare low-fat as drab with no flavor. Use herbs and vinegars, balsamic for instance. Lots of flavor, no fat. Being hooked on fat and chemical flavorings has obvious "rewards" you can see on the scale.
It really does take awhile to get weaned off foods that offer such delicious rewards. It truly is an addiction. I fought with giving up Coke for years only to replace that with Famous Amos Cookies! So trust me, I have not always been a sterling example of wise food choices either. But more and more it is being discovered so many illnesses and diseases have root causes in our typical diets, that it is time to start reading labels. And listening to our cells, not our taste buds. It makes a huge difference!
When you are tempted to consume something that was manufactured, not grown naturally, ask yourself why? Why and what is in this for me? What is in this that will give my cells what they need so I'll have good health? Also the best diet tip of all - do not eat if you aren't really truly hungry! Eating as a reaction to something that just happened is a lot like the alcoholic who will use any excuse to go for another drink - bad hair day, grumpy encounter with someone and boy they "need" that drink. Are you like that with food? A quick suggestions is to look at what is on the fork - seriously and consciously - and be honest. Are you feeding your cells or your taste buds? At least feed the cells first. Once you eat a fiber rich, nutrient rich meal, you may be surprised to have a sense of fullness enough to skip dessert!
I'm sure there is SOME reason to have laboratories - I just won't eat foods made in them. If you aren't with me on this yet, try reading this book. The back third of the book is Food Rehab! Precious!
In his book, Dr. Kessler writes:
"Like the homeostatic system, the body's reward system is essential to survival, encouraging us to seek out pleasurable things like sex and food. Powerful biological forces are at play that make us WANT something enough to pursue it and then make us feel momentarily better once we obtain it. The anticipation of reward provides motivation to act."
So we all have a reward system going on. I think there are some people who have a bit of over-activity of their reward systems and become addicts. Think Tiger Woods for instance, and unfortunately so many celebs who make it into the news because of their sex addictions. And celebs like Kristie Alley with food addictions. I mention the ones you have heard about, but there are millions (of each kind) out there. It is the food addicts I am most concerned about because they are truly killing themselves with rewards. Their homeostasis is hanging by a thread.
Looking at foods (I use the term loosely) that contribute to weight problems is something that Dr. Kessler does in depth. I would think anyone reading this book would be severely challenged to continue consuming Junk Food once they realize it isn't food at all. Last week's blog hinted at the fact that food manufacturers are taking advantage of our reward system by offering up the most palatable outrageously delicious "treats" known to mankind. They do it in their laboratories. Their recipes have nothing whatever to do with offering up nutritients your little cells need but everything to do with what happens when you smell and taste their products. You make them rich. You get hooked on the taste and keep coming back for more - and more! Only when your doctor says you have diabetes, or your bathroom scale implodes do you think there is a problem with what you've been eating, and how much of it. Well folks, let's change things in our heads before any of that happens!
Dr. Kessler attended a convention of the Institute of Food Technologist in New Orleans. He was strolling past the booths and one offered him a frozen chocolate drink. He said "from the first rich, flavorful sip I knew it was something special. The taste seemed to explode on my tongue." He went on to say, "That product contained chocolate fudge carmel flavor, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk, dextrose, heavy cream and salt - key drivers of palatability blended together with artificial flavor."
He asked the food scientist at that booth just how much cocoa was in the product. The response was "Very little." They could put it on the label because it did contain SOME, though not enough to contribute to the flavor - the total flavor was generated thru modern chemistry. Once sensitized to this he began to notice it everywhere. Food was not what he thought it was but a blend of "things" from a lab PRETENDING to be something they were not.
Reading labels can be scary I guess. The key ingredients in Oreo cookies are sweeteners of course, but the manufacturer paired bitter sweet chocolate taste (artificial) with sugar (lots!) for a dynamic taste treat. The flavor combos in recipes they create (in their laboratories) are so yummy and delicious we fall prey to eating them - some for an occasional treat - others for daily rewards. One oreo for a treat may not be so bad, but honestly could you eat just one?
In his chapter called "The Science of Selling" he writes: "It's hardly news that the food we eat, and the way it's presented, are the handiwork of an industry whose goal is to make a profit. What's striking is the many ingenious ways in which the industry succeeds. On venture capitalist did not mince words when he talked about its intent. "The goal is to get you hooked." he said bluntly.
"Typically, craveable foods in America are layered with sauces, cheese, and breading. "When in doubt, throw cheese and bacon on it" is a standard joke in the world of chain restaurants, according to food industry consultant John Haywood."
Of course I shouldn't need to mention that MOST of those sauces and cheese aren't REAL either, and the breading packs a wallop of calories for basically nothing but "taste". Are we such reward-centered people that we will consume ANYthing that tastes good whether it's real or not? There is so much of that going on today it is no wonder obesity is rampant, as is diabetes and other diseases. The American diet is pathetic with its lack of REAL food.
Some people say they do all their own cooking and never buy prepared or processed foods. Does it really matter if those scrumptious meals are homemade if the creation is a calorie dense meal? How much sugar, salt, cream, butter, white flour etc. went into that meal?
I did a kitchen purge for a client recently and we sat down and looked at all the recipes she would use to create some fabulous dinners and we added up the calories. Gasp! She vowed to make these meals only once in a blue moon, if ever. She switched to roasted veggies, less meat, less dairy, and more whole grains, beans and fruit. She and her husband lost weight the first week after she changed menus and that is enough incentive to keep at it. Is it a diet? Not really. It's called real simple food that hasn't been sauced, breaded, creamed or fried to death. She told me last week she is having fun trying out new recipes and has challenged herself to whip up great tasting meals without cream, butter, oils, sugars etc. but using herbs and natural foods. Way to go! That family is on the way to better health and weight loss!
Our bodies need protein, carbs and fat in the proper amounts for our own personal body to have homeostasis. We need micronutrients of vitamins and minerals as well. If our main quest in life is to satisfy that taste bud craving - which is the result of loving the taste of fat (all kinds!) and/or the taste manipulated with flavoring chemicals - just where in the world are our nutrients coming from? We are overfed and staving! That bears repeating - overfed and starving.
Why can we consume an entire bag of potato chips? Because the fat we are ingesting doesn't fill us up so we keep on eating and eating them. Because fat empties from the stomach at just 2 calories per minute, fat can increase satiety. This is one reason why low-fat diets often fail because people are used to consuming larger quantities of food so they say they are not satisfied with small portions and too often declare low-fat as drab with no flavor. Use herbs and vinegars, balsamic for instance. Lots of flavor, no fat. Being hooked on fat and chemical flavorings has obvious "rewards" you can see on the scale.
It really does take awhile to get weaned off foods that offer such delicious rewards. It truly is an addiction. I fought with giving up Coke for years only to replace that with Famous Amos Cookies! So trust me, I have not always been a sterling example of wise food choices either. But more and more it is being discovered so many illnesses and diseases have root causes in our typical diets, that it is time to start reading labels. And listening to our cells, not our taste buds. It makes a huge difference!
When you are tempted to consume something that was manufactured, not grown naturally, ask yourself why? Why and what is in this for me? What is in this that will give my cells what they need so I'll have good health? Also the best diet tip of all - do not eat if you aren't really truly hungry! Eating as a reaction to something that just happened is a lot like the alcoholic who will use any excuse to go for another drink - bad hair day, grumpy encounter with someone and boy they "need" that drink. Are you like that with food? A quick suggestions is to look at what is on the fork - seriously and consciously - and be honest. Are you feeding your cells or your taste buds? At least feed the cells first. Once you eat a fiber rich, nutrient rich meal, you may be surprised to have a sense of fullness enough to skip dessert!
I'm sure there is SOME reason to have laboratories - I just won't eat foods made in them. If you aren't with me on this yet, try reading this book. The back third of the book is Food Rehab! Precious!
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